Home / Disasters and Accidents / Utah Cliff Fall: Parent Plunges 70 Feet in Rescue Ordeal
Utah Cliff Fall: Parent Plunges 70 Feet in Rescue Ordeal
15 Apr
Summary
- A parent fell approximately 70 feet off a cliff in Utah's Pritchett Canyon.
- The injured hiker was rescued using ropes and other technical gear.
- The hiker was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition.
Tragedy struck a family during a spring break hike in Utah's Pritchett Canyon when one parent fell approximately 70 feet off a cliff. The incident occurred after the family had parked their off-road vehicles and were hiking to view rock arches.
One of the children heard screams and alerted the other parent, who used an iPhone's satellite feature to call for help. A rescue helicopter landed nearby, but the hiker was lodged in a sloping sandstone gully, necessitating a complex technical rescue operation.
Rescuers described the fall as 70-80 feet followed by a 50-foot tumble on slickrock. The injured individual suffered a badly broken body, including open fractures and possible internal injuries. The three-hour rescue involved ropes, webbing, and anchors, after which the hiker was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition.
The sheriff's search and rescue team noted that cliff edges in the Moab area can be deceptive and cautioned that bad things can happen despite people being careful. The family was wished luck moving forward.
